George Blagden: roles at a glance
George Blagden plays Athelstan in the original Vikings series.
Selected work beyond Vikings includes Les Misérables, Versailles and Black Mirror. Explore the biography below for the roles, career context and further references.
Reference: Vikings cast credit.
About George Blagden
George Blagden’s career crosses television drama, film and musical theatre. Alongside Athelstan, his defining screen roles include Louis XIV in Versailles and Grantaire in the film of Les Misérables. Those parts place him at very different points in a group: an outsider searching for belonging, a monarch shaping a court and a revolutionary within a musical ensemble.
His stage work includes the West End production of Company directed by Marianne Elliott, Tartuffe at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, The Pitchfork Disney and Platinum. Independent screen work includes No Postage Necessary, How You Look at Me and Rubikon. For Vikings viewers, Versailles is the most direct next stop; Les Misérables and Company reveal the musical and theatrical side of a career that is easy to miss when starting with Athelstan.
What to watch next from George Blagden
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Versailles
The best first choice after Athelstan: Blagden leads as Louis XIV, with authority and court politics replacing Athelstan’s outsider position.
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Watch his Grantaire to explore the musical side of his screen work.
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An independent-film lead role for a change from large historical ensembles.
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Selected screen credits
Playing Athelstan: performance & interviews
Watching the performance
Blagden described television’s pace as helpful in managing first-day nerves: there was less time to dwell on a single moment than he had experienced in film. He spoke about Athelstan’s changing circumstances as a particularly rewarding acting opportunity. Follow Athelstan’s response to unfamiliar rituals and expectations, rather than treating him only as an explanation device for Ragnar.
George Blagden in Vikings
Athelstan
George Blagden portrays Athelstan in Vikings.
Athelstan is a monk captured at Lindisfarne whose knowledge makes him valuable to Ragnar. His movement between communities gives the series an unusually intimate view of cultural encounter.
Follow the character’s journey, loyalties and place in the wider saga.
Explore Athelstan’s storyGeorge Blagden: portrait & roles
Fan questions
Where else might I recognize George Blagden?
Daily Actor’s 2013 interview identifies him as Grantaire in the film Les Misérables.